


half shut eyes

by sanjariti



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bucky Barnes - Freeform, Bucky Barnes AU, Bucky barnes x reader - Freeform, Bucky barnes/reader - Freeform, F/M, Marvel - Freeform, ceo!bucky barnes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-25
Updated: 2017-11-25
Packaged: 2019-02-06 18:49:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12823818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanjariti/pseuds/sanjariti
Summary: You had one rule - Bucky just couldn't help himself, could he? | modern au, inspired by Disclosure x Lorde's "Magnets"





	half shut eyes

A promise is a promise.

A deal is a deal.

There are rules. There are terms and conditions.

You never break them.  _ Never. _

No strings attached throws every fucking rule out the window, except its holy grail.

_ No feelings whatsoever. _

One kiss isn’t so bad.

Until it leads to another.

And another.

A whirlwind romance can spring out of nowhere, carrying you off to a place you didn’t know you wanted to be.

Except you couldn’t be there.

One fucking rule.

He just had to break it, didn’t he?

Mulholland Drive was your personal escape; the winding road through the hills of Los Angeles always drew you away into a different reality; peaceful, quiet, honest. You always turned to driving when you needed to get away, even when your favorite alternative sat on your kitchen counter, waiting. 

You missed the buzz that came from drinking - the adrenaline coursing through your veins, the liquid courage alcohol gave you. You missed the high - it's what got you what you always wanted;  _ happiness _ . 

Oh, how you needed that now.

You found yourself stopping in front of the all-too familiar driveway of  _ his  _ house. The matte black gates towered above you, the guard at the entrance letting you in the moment he saw you. 

You head down the winding path that lead right to the main garage, the castle-like mansion sprawling across freshly cut green fields. The warm summer air brought back some savory memories that you thought were buried deep. 

* * *

_ “Where’s the man of the hour, huh?” You down the last of your martini, savoring the bite back burn in your throat as you listen to Wanda’s reply. _

_ “He’s coming, don’t worry. You’ll meet him soon enough,  _ whore, _ ” She whispers the last bit in your ear, slapping your ass as she walks back to the bar, winking when you throw her an annoyed glance.  _

_ “I still can’t believe she works for him, dude,” Sam appears out of nowhere, draping his arm over your shoulder as he hands you a champagne flute, his already half empty.  _

_ “She’s smart as fuck, Wilson. You should find yourself a girl like her!” You laugh, patting his chest as he lets you go, rolling his eyes. _

_ “Fuck you, Y/N.” _

_ “I know, you’re tryin’!” You can’t stop the fit of giggles that consume you, his glare quickly replaced by a look of shock and embarrassment. _

_ “Y/N’s just messin’ with you, Sam. The alcohol’s hittin’ her pretty early, apparently.” Your best friend Frank says, patting Sam’s shoulder as he flashes you a quick smile. “You alright there, sweetheart?” _

_ “Never better, Castle. How’s security goin’?” Your words slur slightly, but not enough for either of them to catch your slip.  _

_ Right as he was about to answer, Wanda returns, her grip tight on your arm as she drags you away.  _

_ “Bitch, where the fu-” _

_ “He’s here, c’mon!” You perk up instantly, placing the now empty champagne flute on a passing waiter’s tray, your other hand tugging down your already short dress.  _

_ Wanda brings you to a high-top table, placing a hand on your shoulder as she scanned the crowd in front of you.  _

_ “Right there, he’s right  _ there!”  _ She quickly points off to your right, and you finally catch a glimpse of  _ him. 

_ Some redhead has her arm draped over his, her mouth moving a mile a minute. You can tell he’s clearly bored, from the way he switches between sipping his drink and checking his watch, nodding every ten seconds, and probably throwing in a ‘wow, nice’ whenever the groupie takes a breath.  _

_ “Well? Put him out of his misery, baby.” Wanda whispers, giving a gentle shove off into his direction. You mentally curse her, taking a quick breath to try and calm your heightened nerves. _

_ Here goes nothing.   _

* * *

That was last summer. A whole year gone by.

It was never supposed to last this long. You never thought it would. He, on the other hand, clearly had other ideas. 

You sat in your car, tapping mindlessly on the steering wheel as the last beats of your favorite song faded away. Your phone rang just as the last note pierced the air, and you rolled your eyes the moment you saw the caller ID.

“Hello?”

“Are you going to sit outside all night or what?”

“Shut up, I’m coming.” 

You hang up the line before he can get another word in, muttering incoherent swears as you fumble around for your purse, pulling the keys out of the ignition as you open the door. 

The walk up to the front entrance was once exciting - now, all it brought was anxiety and annoyance.

_ What will it be this time? _

The door is unlocked when you try the handle, and it doesn’t even surprise you. Once you’re in the foyer, you kick your shoes off, spotting the note taped to the door.

“ _ I’m in my office. Make yourself at home, as always. There’s food and wine in the kitchen, right on the counter. -B” _

“I fuckin’ wanna be drunk now,” You say to yourself, crumpling up the piece of paper as you head for the kitchen. You toss it in the garbage, helping yourself to a plate of cookies and a small - emphasis on  _ small _ \- glass of wine. 

“Y/N, it’s been awhile - how’re you?” His assistant, Natalia, appears from her office, an empty wine glass in hand. You smile weakly, handing her the bottle of red you were still holding.

“Just fine, Nat. How’s work treating you?” You nod at her now full glass, and she chuckles, shaking her head.

“It’s work. Neverending, but not killing me just yet. You here for some R&R or?” She gestures back to the other hallway, where the inevitable was soon approaching.

“Just some unfinished business - and not the kind you’re thinking, dirty.” You both laugh, tapping glasses before taking a quick sip.

“Well, good to see you, babe. Hopefully whatever this all is,” She waves her free hand around, “- resolves itself. Let’s get lunch soon, yeah?” You only nod, smiling as she waves, shutting the door once she’s back in her office.

“Let’s get this over with, for Christ’s sake.” You grab your plate and glass, taking a deep breath before walking down the half-lit hallway. 

His office door is slightly ajar, a warm draft hitting you as you make it to the homestretch.

_ Now or never.  _

You take one last breath, shaking your head before finally stepping into the room. He’s standing behind his desk, staring out the massive bay windows overlooking the extensive backyard. You do a quick survey of the intimate space as you shut the door, making your silent presence known.

He turns quickly, pulling his hands out of his pockets as he smiles at you.

“Hey.” He rounds the edge of his desk, propping himself against its front edge. You smile for a moment, placing your things on the table next to the door. You walk up to him, leaving a safe amount of distance between the two of you. You don’t miss the way he flinches the moment you stop moving, or the uncomfortable shift as he pulls at his tie. 

“What did you want to talk about, James?” His real name rolls off your tongue like a foreign, unwanted object.  _ Is that what this has really come to? _

You can tell how it makes him uncomfortable too - his whole body stiffens at the sound, his smile faltering.

“I just wanted to go over a few last things before I send in the papers and make everything official, you know?” His confidence is dissipating with every passing second under your gaze, and you don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing. 

“And make sure this is really what I want, right? That’s what this whole back and forth has been since the start. You and I both know that, Barnes.” He gives a wry chuckle, shaking his head as he crosses his arms, looking up at your intense gaze.

“You know I don’t want to let it go, and you make it painfully obvious that you want the opposite of just that. Sorry that I don’t trust your decisions here, Y/N.”

You roll your eyes at him, mirroring his movements as you lean against the [unnecessary] pool table sitting behind you.

“We flirted too close to the line, Buck. You know that. The line was there for a  _ reason,  _ and now it’s lost its purpose. What were you expecting me to do?” You scoff, planting your feet firmly on the ground as you felt a slight shiver creep across your skin. 

Bucky sighs, carding a hand through his loose locks as he drops his gaze to the floor. 

“I hoped you wanted more than just what we had. Clearly, I was wrong.” 

“Don’t start this shit again, Bucky. That is not what this is, and you fucking know that.” You almost growl at him, your face growing warmer with the rising anger. He looks up at you, his brows furrowed as he tilts his head.

“You’re joking, right? That is  _ exactly  _ what this is! You want me to sign everything over in your name! You’re trying to erase my memory from everything, Y/N! If you loved me, you wouldn’t be doing any of this. You would’ve said yes from the start.”

Bucky seems to have lost whatever was left of his suave attitude, considering the puppy eyes and pout now adorning his usually unforgiving features.

You look at anything but his face, because he knows damn well what he’s doing. He’ll try to win you over by any means necessary.

And clearly, he’s had the same thought run through his mind. 

In the matter of seconds, he’s taken three large strides towards you, planting himself right in front, his arms encasing you. You refuse to look at him, your gaze focused on the minimal distance between your shoes.

“Look at me, Y/N.”

“No.” When did your voice get so soft? You shut your eyes tight, digging your teeth into your lip as you hear his breathing; feel the way his hot breath hits your skin, like in times past.  _ Oh how you wish this was going to turn out like then.  _

“Look at me and tell me you don’t love me, Y/N. Tell me you don’t love me and that this is what you want. I need to be sure, sweetheart.” His voice is low, his breath drawing out goosebumps all over your skin as you feel his fingers brush back some of your hair. 

“C’mon and tell me, baby.” He pulls away, his hand settling on your hip as you finally look up at him. His lip is caught between his teeth, his hair a curly, unruly mess. How many times did you leave it like that? 

The words he needs to hear, the words you know you need to say, are sitting at the tip of your tongue. Yet all it wants to do is dance with his.

_ Fuck it. _

As if he read your mind, the moment the words cross your thoughts, his lips are on yours, soft and wet. Your breath hitches, your heartbeat racing a mile a minute, loud in your eardrums. You gasp, letting him in without a second thought. 

The kiss is everything you wanted it to be; hot, desperate,  _ not enough.  _

There’s no turning back now.

**Author's Note:**

> there may be a second part - just don't know when it'll be written/posted!


End file.
